Human Resource Management

  • Processes required to make the most efficient use of people
  • 3 major processes:
    • Organizational Planning
    • Staff Acquisitions
    • Team Development
  • Keep in mind of transient nature of projects
  • Apply techniques that apply to current project needs
  • Ensure HR compliance with project management activities
  • 1,9 manager = good relationship with team
  • Project Organization
    • Conflict between PM and Functional Managers
    • Dual allegiance of team members
    • Complex prioritization of resources
    • Loss of developed procedures on project dissolution
  • Compromise = both sides will lose
  • Delegation
    • Defer the decision
    • Interpreted as passive
    • Emphasize task vs. personnel
    • Can be frequently used
  • If there is a team of experts, PM decisions will promote high satisfaction
  • Functional/Project Managers likely to exercise:
    • Power
    • Authority
    • Influence
  • Traditional organization forms have no single point of contact for client/sponsor
Organizational Planning
  • Identifying, documenting and assigning project roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships
    • Individual and group assignments
    • Internal and external employees
    • Linked with communication planning
Inputs to Organizational Planning
  • Project Interfaces 
    • Organizational interfaces – formal and informal reporting relationships among organizational units
    • Technical interfaces - formal and informal reporting relationships among technical disciplines
      • Engineers, manufacturers, electrical, etc.
    • Interpersonal interfaces – formal and informal reporting relationships among individuals
  • Staffing Requirements – define skill sets from individual/group in particular time frames
  • Constraints – factors that limit project team’s options
    • Organizational structure (strong vs. weak matrix)
    • Collective bargaining agreements – contractual arrangements
    • Preferences of project management team
    • Expected staff assignments 
Tools & Techniques for Organizational Planning
  • Templates – reuse a similar project’s role and responsibility definitions
  • Human Resource Practices – corporate policies, guidelines, and practices
  • Organizational Theory – how organizations are structured
  • Stakeholder Analysis – needs of stakeholders are ensured
Outputs from Organizational Planning
  • Role and Responsibility Assignments – can vary over time, closely linked to scope definition.  Utilizes a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) to define responsibility for each item in the Work Breakdown Structure/task list
  • Staffing Management Plan – when and how personnel are included and removed from the project team
    • Resource leveling, reduce transition periods, eliminate “dead time” between assignments, sensitivity to morale
  • Organizational Chart – display reporting relationships
  • Supporting Detail
    • Organizational impact
    • Job descriptions
    • Training needs
Staff Acquisition
Ensure resources are available for project work

Inputs to Staff Acquisition
  • Staffing Management Plan
  • Staffing Pool Description
    • Previous experience
    • Personal interests
    • Personal characteristics
    • Availability
  • Recruitment Practices
Tools & Techniques for Staff Acquisition
  • Negotiations with functional managers and other teams
    • Staff utilization and corporate politics
  • Pre-assignment – result of a competitive proposal, or an internal initiative
  • Procurement – outside services are needed (lacking internal skills or availability can not be met)
Outputs from Staff Acquisition
  • Project staff assigned
  • Project Team Directory – contact list
Team Development – enhancing stakeholders to contribute along with maintaining the project team’s functionality
  • Personal development is the foundation
  • Team members often balance responsibilities to a functional manager and project manager
  • Critical to success of project
Inputs to Team Development
  • Project Staff
  • Project Plan
  • Staffing Management Plan
  • Performance Reports
  • External Feedback
    • Periodic measurements of performance
Tools & Techniques for Team Development
  • Team-building activities
  • General Management Skills
  • Reward and recognition systems
    • Promote desired behavior
    • Must be achievable; apply to the project
    • Cultural differences recognition
  • Co-location – place members in physical location
  • Training – enhance skills, knowledge, and capabilities of project team
    • Must be factored in cost analysis of project
Outputs from Team Development
  • Performance Improvements
    • Individual skills
    • Team Behavior
    • Identify more efficient methods of work
  • Input for performance appraisals
Review Guide Tips
  • Roles and responsibilities
    • Project Manger – plan, estimate and schedule of project
    • Team – help prepare the WBS, Network Diagrams, and estimate time for tasks, complete tasks
    • Senior Management – approve Overall project plan, budget and schedule and to approve any changes that are made to those figures
    • The person experiencing the problem must try to solve it themselves as long as means are in their control
  • Powers:
    • Formal (legitimate)
    • Reward
    • Penalty (coercive)
    • Expert (earned)
    • Referent – authority of a higher position
  • Best are Expert and Reward; Penalty is the worst
    • Formal, Reward and Penalty derived from PM’s position within the company
  • Conflict
    • Inevitable consequence of organizational interactions
    • Can be beneficial
    • Resolved by identifying the causes and problem solving by people that are involved & their immediate manager
    • Nature of project
    • Limited power of the project manager
    • Necessity for obtaining resources from functional managers 
  • Avoid conflict
    • Informing the team
    • Clearly assigning tasks without ambiguity
    • Challenging and interesting work assignments
  • Conflict Sources (in order of frequency)
    • Schedules
    • Project Priorities
    • Resources
    • Technical opinions
    • Administrative Procedures
    • Cost
    • Personality
  • Motivational Theories
    • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – people work to get a chance to contribute and use their skills
      • ‘self-actualization’
    • McGregor’s Theory of X and Y
      • X – people need to be watched every minute
      • Y – people willing to work without supervision
  • Herzberg’s Theory – poor hygiene factors destroy motivation but improving them will not improve motivation
    • Motivating Agents
      • Responsibility
      • Self-actualization
      • Professional growth
      • Recognition
  • Responsibility Charts
    • Matrix – cross references team members with tasks (does not show time – when job is done)
    • Histogram – months vs. number of resources
    • Gantt Chart – shows when staff allocated to tasks
  • Leadership Skills
    • Directive
    • Facilitating
    • Coaching 
    • Supportive
  • Team Building Skills
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